Prefabricated building construction including a metal framework



Sept. 15, 1964 e. LESAGE 3,148,752

PREFABRICATED BUILDING CONSTRUCTION ncwomc A METAL FRAMEWORK Filed Sept. 28. 1960 United States Patent 3,148,752 PREFABRICATED BUILDING CONSTRUCTION INCLUDHJG A METAL FRAMEWORK Gilbert Lesage, 94 Quai du Roi Albert, Bressoux-Liege, Belgium Filed Sept. 28, 1969, Ser. No. 59,049 Claims priority, application Belgium Oct. 2, 1959 7 Claims. (Cl. 1891) This invention relates to a prefabricated building construction including a metal framework, carried out by using light-Weight building components which, owing to their case of assembly, make it possible to construct cells which, either separately or in juxtaposed relationship, make up buildings intended for lodging or for any services, such as, schools, hospitals, oflices, etc., including one or more stories. The invention further contemplates a prefabricated construction providing much freedom as regards the choice of outer dimensions and the harmoni ous appearance of the built body and the distribution of the rooms inside the building as well.

Accordin to the invention, each cell includes a metal structure or framework formed from transverse frame assemblies constituted by assembling prefabricated component parts, said frame assemblies being secured in a vertical position, and in mutually parallel relationship, to any suitable carrier, the frame assemblies being spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the standard size of enclosing panels which are secured with respect to the inner portion of the frame assemblies, which latter fully surround the cell, so as not to interfere with the inner space of the latter.

The frame according to the invention is comprised of two component parts, one of which is of U-shape and includes a horizontal bottom cross member and two vertical uprights arranged at the ends of the latter, the second component part of the frame assembly being a top cross member, which is secured to the top portions of said uprights.

The top cross member may be comprised of a separate component part adapted to carry the covering components of the cell, or alternately, it may be formed by the bottom cross member of a further U-shaped member arranged above the first U-shaped member and identical therewith, the latter construction providing the possibility to carry out cells of two or more stories.

According to a further feature of the invention, the component parts of the frame assembly show a cross section including, on the side intended to have the panels secured to it, a U-shaped profile formed with side flanges against which the panels of the frontage Walls, of the floor, of the ceiling and of the roof are thrusted, such panels being secured by means of bolts having one end retained by abutments provided within the said U-shaped profile. The abutments are conveniently formed by inner flanges of the said U-shaped profile, the nuts of the bolts engaging behind those flanges. Conveniently, the marginal portions of two adjacent panels are each pressed against one of the lateral flanges of the U-shaped profile, preferably with intervening tightener tape, by means of stiff joint covering members engaged by the bolts.

Conveniently, the joint covering members, especially those intended for the vertical walls, are each of channel shape, with their flanges bearing against the inner face of the panels, while the body of the joint covering member enters the space left between the panels, so that the bolt heads should not protrude into the rooms and so as to provide a vertical channel in which electrical mains, switches, wall plugs or piping and so on may be placed.

Further features and advantages of the invention will appear from the disclosure of certain embodiments given 3,148,752 Patented Sept. 15, 1964 hereinafter by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatical drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a cell in the course of erection;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of a cell in a more advanced stage of construction;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view showing one embodiment of a frame component part, an upright for instance, together with means for securing panels to the latter;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view showing a modified embodiment of a frame upright;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a modified embodiment of a frame cross member;

FIG. 6 is a transverse cross sectional view of another modified embodiment of one end portion of a frame member, and

FIG. 7 is a transverse cross sectional view of a twostory cell.

Each cell comprises a certain number of parallel, vertically arranged and mutually spaced metal frame assemblies including each a U-shaped component part comprising two uprights Z interconnected by means of a bottom cross member 3 which is secured to a carrier structure, such as girders resting upon supporting piles or blocks 5. The carrier structure may support one or more frame assemblies and may be formed to any suitable shape, for instance, that of continuous walls, concrete pedestals, or the like. The girders 4 may be made hollow and accommodate piping, wiring, or the like, such as 6. The enclosing panels may be secured to the frame assemblies, to form frontage walls, the floor, the ceiling and the roofing, in a manner to be hereinafter disclosed. The frontage panels may be plain or include doors and windows, as shown in FIG. 2. The latter figure also shows that the inner space of a cell may be subdivided by inner partition walls, whose arrangement may be varied at will. It will further be understood that cells according to the invention may be juxtaposed in length, in width or at a right angle.

The frame assemblies may be made e.g. from bent and welded sheet metal or by extruding sections, such as of aluminum. FIG. 3 shows one way of securing two adjacent panels 7 to a frame component, such as an upright 2 comprised of a piece of sheet metal bent to channel section with side flanges 8 and having welded therein a channel section 9 having inner flanges lit. The panels 7 are pressed against the flanges 8, preferably with intervening sealing'tape, by means of a stiff joint covering member 11, also of channel section, which is received between the panels and has side flanges thrusted against the inner face of the panel's. Tightening may be effected by means of bolts 12, whose nuts 13 engage behind the flanges It) acting as abutments. The nuts 13 may be in the form of parallelograms, so that they can be inserted through the slot between the flanges 10 and engage behind the latter, to be wedged there as a result of the rotation of the bolt. Electric or other mains, switches, and the like, may be accommodated within the hollow space of the joint covering member 11.

FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of an upright 2 made from extruded metal, such as aluminum. One edge portion is of channel section whose legs terminate in outer flanges 14 acting in the same way as the flanges 8 of FIG. 3, and ininner flanges 15 having the same function as the abutments it! of FIG. 3, which latter flanges may lie in the same plane as the flanges 14 or further inside the hollow spaceof the channel. The body of the upright may be of any shape providing high strength, for instance one showing a solid web terminating in a hollow cylindrical portion, as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 shows a cross member from extruded metal,

which maybe a-bottom cross member 3 or a top cross and engaging the cavities of the channel-shaped edge portions of the component parts to be assembled, and the interfitting engagement so provided may be completed by welding.

As shown in FIG. 7, identical frame assemblies may be superimposed to form a multi-storey cell. Preferably, the length of the upper cross members 16 of the cell practically corresponds to the inner dimension of the frame assemblies. Owing to this arrangement, the free ends of the uprights may accommodate thereon gutters or cornices 17, which may be secured to the uprights and form a useful horizontal connection between the frame assemblies.

If desired, the upper face of thetop cross members 16 may be of arcuate shape or have any other required form.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the examples described and shown, which are subject to various modifications within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A prefabricated cell construction comprising at least a pair of spaced frame members, each of said frame members comprising a pair of spaced upwardly extending legs interconnected by a bight, each of said legs and said. bight having as an integral part thereof a portion defining a channel arranged around and extending longitudinally of the inner periphery of said legs and said bight and. a pair of flanges extending from the sides of said channel toward one another and defining therebetween a slot, a plurality of panels one arranged to extend between each of the juxtaposed frame members, a channel cover member for overlapping the edges of juxtaposed panels, and fastening means including a portion arranged within said channel behind said flanges and a portion extending through said cover member for interconnecting said panels to said frame members.

2. A prefabricated cell construction comprising at least a pair of spaced frame members, each of said frame members comprising a pair of spaced upwardly extending legs interconnected by a bight, each of said legs and said bight having as an integral part thereof a portion defin ing a channel arranged around and extending longitudinally of the inner periphery of said legs and said bight and a pair of flanges extending from the sides of said channel toward one another and defining therebetween a slot, a plurality of panels one arranged to extend between each of the juxtaposed frame members, a channel cover member. for overlapping the edges of juxtaposed panels, and. fastening means comprising bolts spaced longitudinally of said frame members, each said cover memher having an aperture receiving one said bolt with the head facing the inside of said cell and a nut engaging the: other end of said bolt in said channel, said nut having peripheral portions adapted to engage the sides of said channel and having one surface adapted to engage saidflanges upon rotating said bolt.

3. A prefabricated cell construction comprising at least a pair of spaced frame members, each of said frame members comprising a pair of spaced upwardly extending legs interconnected by a bight, each of said legs and said bight having as an integral part thereof a portion defining a channel arranged around and extending longitudinally of the inner periphery of said legs and said bight and a pair of flanges extending from the sides of said channel toward one another and defining therebetween a slot, a plurality of panels one arranged to extend between each of the juxtaposed frame members, a channel cover member for overlapping the edges of juxtaposed panels, and fastening means comprising bolts spaced longitudinally of said frame members, each said cover member having an aperture receiving one said bolt with the head facing the inside of said cell and a nut engaging the other end of said bolt in said channel, said out having peripheral portions adapted to engage the sides of said channel and having one surface adapted to engage said flanges upon rotating said bolt, and said frame members having outwardly extending flanges for supporting said panels.

4. A prefabricated cell construction comprising at least a pair of-spaced frame members, each of said frame members comprising a pair of spaced upwardly extending legs interconnected by a bight, each of said legs and said bight having as an integral part thereof a portion defining a channel arranged around and extending longitudinally of the inner periphery of said legs and said bight and a pair of flanges extending from the sides of said channel toward one another and defining therebetween a slot, a plurality of panels one arranged to extend between each of the juxtaposed frame members, a channel cover member for overlapping the edges of juxtaposed panels, and fastening means comprising bolts spaced longitudinally of said frame members, each said cover member having an aperture receiving one said bolt with the head facing the inside of said cell and a nutengaging the other end of said bolt in said channel, said nut having peripheral portions adapted to engage the sides of said channel and having one surface adapted to engage said flanges upon rotating said bolt, said frame members having outwardly extending flanges for supporting said panels and said pair of flanges being disposed endwise of said channel and having a surface disposed in a plane in alignment with the inner surface of said outwardly extending flanges.

5. A prefabricated cell construction comprising at least a pair of spaced frame members, each of said frame members comprising a pair of spaced upwardly extend ing legs interconnected by a bight, each of said legs and said bight having as anintegral part thereof a portion defining a channel arranged around and extending longitudinally of the inner periphery of said legs and said bight and a pair of flanges extending from the sides of said channel toward one another and defining therebetween a slot, a plurality of panels one arranged to extend between each of the juxtaposed frame members, a channel. cover member for overlapping the edges of juxtaposed panels, and fastening means comprising bolts spaced longitudinally of said frame members, each said cover member having an aperture receiving one said bolt with the head facing the inside of said cell and a nut engaging the other end of said bolt in said channel, said nut having peripheral portions adapted to engage the sides of said channel and having one surface adapted to engage said flanges upon rotating said bolt, and said frame member being U-shaped and said flanges being secured to theopen end thereof.

6. A prefabricated cell construction comprising at least a pair of spaced frame members, each of said frame members comprising a pair of spaced upwardly extending legs interconnected by a bight, each of-said legs and said bight having as an integral part thereof a portion defining a channel arranged around and extending longitudinally of the inner periphery of said legs and said bight and a pair of flanges extending from the sides of said channel toward one another and defining therebetween a .slot, a plurality of panelsone arranged to extend between each of the juxtaposed frame members, a channel cover member for overlapping the edges of juxtaposed panels, and fastening means comprising bolts spaced longitudinally of said frame members, each said cover memher having an aperture receiving one said bolt with the head facing the inside of said cell and a nut engaging the other end of said bolt in said channel, said nut having peripheral portions adapted to engage the sides of said channel and having one surface adapted to engage said flanges upon rotating said bolt, and said frame member being a profile having at least one end portion of U- shaped configuration and said flanges being secured to the legs of said U-shaped configuration.

7. A prefabricated cell construction comprising at least a pair of spaced frame members, each of said frame members comprising a pair of spaced upwardly extending legs interconnected by a bight, each of said legs and said bight having as an integral part thereof a portion defining a channel arranged around and extending longitudinally of the inner periphery of said legs and said bight and a pair of flanges extending from the sides of said channel toward one another and defining therebetween 2. slot, a plurality of panels one arranged to extend between each of the juxtaposed frame members, a channel cover member for overlapping the edges of juxtaposed panels, and fastening means comprising bolts spaced longitudinally of said frame members, each said cover memher having an aperture receiving one said bolt with the head facing the inside of said cell and a nut engaging the other end of said bolt in said channel, said nut having peripheral portions adapted to engage the sides of said channel and having one surface adapted to engage said flanges upon rotating said bolt, and said cover member being channel shaped and having outer flanges for engaging adjacent panels and the channel of said cover member extending between adjacent panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A PREFABRICATED CELL CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING AT LEAST A PAIR OF SPACED FRAME MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED UPWARDLY EXTENDING LEGS INTERCONNECTED BY A BIGHT, EACH OF SAID LEGS AND SAID BIGHT HAVING AS AN INTEGRAL PART THEREOF A PORTION DEFINING A CHANNEL ARRANGED AROUND AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID LEGS AND SAID BIGHT AND A PAIR OF FLANGES EXTENDING FROM THE SIDES OF SAID CHANNEL TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A SLOT, A PLURALITY OF PANELS ONE ARRANGED TO EXTEND BETWEEN EACH OF THE JUXTAPOSED FRAME MEMBERS, A CHANNEL COVER MEMBER FOR OVERLAPPING THE EDGES OF JUXTAPOSED PANELS, AND FASTENING MEANS INCLUDING A PORTION ARRANGED WITHIN SAID CHANNEL BEHIND SAID FLANGES AND A PORTION EXTENDING THROUGH SAID COVER MEMBER FOR INTERCONNECTING SAID PANELS TO SAID FRAME MEMBERS. 